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“The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) spike protein is known to mediate receptor interaction and immune recognition and thus it is considered as a major target for vaccine design. The spike protein plays an important role in virus entry, virus receptor interactions, and virus tropism. Sensitive diagnosis of SARS is essential for the BIX 1294 cell line control of the disease in humans. Recombinant SARS-CoV S1 antigen was produced and purified

for the development of monoclonal and bi-specific monoclonal antibodies. The hybridomas secreting anti-S1 antibodies, F26G18 and P136.8D12, were fused respectively with the YP4 hybridoma to generate quadromas. The sandwich ELISA

was formed by using F26G18 as a coating antibody and biotinylated F26G18 as a detection antibody www.selleckchem.com/products/AC-220.html with a detection limit of 0.037 mu g/ml (p < 0.02). The same detection limit was found with P136.8D12 as a coating antibody and biotinylated F26G18 as a detection antibody. The sensitivity was improved (detection limit of 0.019 mu g/ml), however, when using bi-specific monoclonal antibody (F157) as the detection antibody. In conclusion, the method described in this study allows sensitive detection of a recombinant SARS spike protein by sandwich ELISA with bi-specific monoclonal antibody and could be used for the diagnosis of patients suspected with SARS. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Recent evidence suggests that SOX9 [sex-determining region Y (SRY) box 9], a transcription factor, plays a pivotal role in acquired diseases, revealing its importance in roles beyond development. However, whether SOX9, which is one of the key regulators of retinal Muller cell development, also participates in the pathological process of retinal degenerative diseases remains unknown. In the present study, we hypothesized that SOX9 was upregulated in Muller cells in retinal degeneration. Retinal light damage (LD) was used as a model for retinal

degeneration. On day 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after LD in adult Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, the spatial distribution Oxaprozin of SOX9 in the retina was observed by immunohistochemistry; the expression levels of SOX9 were measured by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. Moreover, type 1 collagen (COL1) and cone-rod homeobox (CRX) protein levels, which are two downstream targets of SOX9, were also assessed by Western blot analysis. Colabeling for SOX9 and glutamine synthetase (GS), a specific Muller cell maker, indicated that SOX9 was expressed in the Muller cell nucleus in both control and LD groups. Significantly enhanced SOX9 expression was observed as early as day 3 after LD, and it persisted for at least 28 days. COL1 and CRX protein levels also increased after LD.